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Wheatheartaca
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| Posted: July 22 2013 at 5:22pm | IP Logged
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I have enrolled my uprising 8th grader with MODG. I am really stressed out over this and have lost a lot of sleep. I have prayed so much about it but I am still confused on what to do. It sounds very teacher intensive and I cant commit that much time to it, I have to work full time and my husband farms all day and cannot help me although he is very supportive. I did enroll her for the LS classes live classes and teacher grading but I am still not at peace. We only really wanted the Religion live class but MODG will not allow single class enrollment, it has to be the whole thing. When I ask her what she wants she says
I dont know.  The deadline to withdraw is Aug 1st and is approaching fast. My consultant is very nice but she really annoys me by telling me that I should do all of MODG and not just pieces because it is too confusing to have 2 different education philosophies. I know she means well but she seems pushy. I guess I am having a hard time with someone telling me what to do  . I thought the LS Live classes would give her some social interaction. I also signed her up with Homeschool Connections for an Apologetics class in the fall. CM eclectic relaxed homeschooling has been our best fit but I thought the 8th grader may need something more rigorous and I do not want to do any more lesson plannimng for her. Is MODG as teacher intensive as it appear, does anyone have any thoughts ...thanks.
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ElizLeone
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| Posted: July 22 2013 at 8:19pm | IP Logged
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I have not done a year of enrollment with MODG, so I can't really answer your question about how teacher-intensive it is.
But I will tell you this... While I know many people who are enrolled with MODG and love it and swear by it, I had much the same reaction as you a couple summers ago. I had enrolled my oldest two daughters in MODG that summer, anticipating a more structured upcoming school year, and I was busy pulling together our MODG curriculum and communicating with my consultant... All was well, the curriculum looked great, the consultant was very nice, but as the summer weeks went by, I got more and more uneasy with being an enrolled MODG family. I kept finding things that I wanted to tweak (of course!). And every time I wanted to tweak something, change a text, add or delete something, or whatever, I had to run it by the consultant—and then she would inform me that she'd have to get back to me. I was calling her constantly, waiting for her approval. And I felt like I was getting hives. After nine or ten years of homeschooling "my way" -- calling the shots and making tweaks to my curriculum on the fly (looking to programs like Kolbe and MODG for guidance), I felt suddenly very boxed-in by a regimented program. Yes, you can tweak things with MODG, but there is a process, and it's simply not the same as making those tweaks on my timeline, knowing what I know about my children. So, that summer, quite suddenly, I pulled out of MODG. They were good enough to refund my money, and I never felt better about my decision.
I will again hasten to add that MODG is clearly a wonderful program. I know many people who have kids who are doing great as enrolled MODG students. I follow some of their Literature and History course recommendations—but on my own terms. I guess it was a situation of having homeschooled my own way for far too long to feel comfortable answering to someone else. I must sound like a big ol' rebel. ;)
I fully anticipate that others will chime in with all the great things about MODG. I know it's a great program! It just didn't fit my independent teaching style.
I know this didn't really answer your specific questions about what's it's like to be an enrolled MODG family, but hopefully it provides a little reassurance that you're not the only one who's felt this way... even this late in the summer. This is exactly where I was a couple summers ago. :)
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Wheatheartaca
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| Posted: July 22 2013 at 10:11pm | IP Logged
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ElizLeone wrote:
I have not done a year of enrollment with MODG, so I can't really answer your question about how teacher-intensive it is.
But I will tell you this... While I know many people who are enrolled with MODG and love it and swear by it, I had much the same reaction as you a couple summers ago. I had enrolled my oldest two daughters in MODG that summer, anticipating a more structured upcoming school year, and I was busy pulling together our MODG curriculum and communicating with my consultant... All was well, the curriculum looked great, the consultant was very nice, but as the summer weeks went by, I got more and more uneasy with being an enrolled MODG family. I kept finding things that I wanted to tweak (of course!). And every time I wanted to tweak something, change a text, add or delete something, or whatever, I had to run it by the consultant—and then she would inform me that she'd have to get back to me. I was calling her constantly, waiting for her approval. And I felt like I was getting hives. After nine or ten years of homeschooling "my way" -- calling the shots and making tweaks to my curriculum on the fly (looking to programs like Kolbe and MODG for guidance), I felt suddenly very boxed-in by a regimented program. Yes, you can tweak things with MODG, but there is a process, and it's simply not the same as making those tweaks on my timeline, knowing what I know about my children. So, that summer, quite suddenly, I pulled out of MODG. They were good enough to refund my money, and I never felt better about my decision.
I will again hasten to add that MODG is clearly a wonderful program. I know many people who have kids who are doing great as enrolled MODG students. I follow some of their Literature and History course recommendations—but on my own terms. I guess it was a situation of having homeschooled my own way for far too long to feel comfortable answering to someone else. I must sound like a big ol' rebel. ;)
I fully anticipate that others will chime in with all the great things about MODG. I know it's a great program! It just didn't fit my independent teaching style.
I know this didn't really answer your specific questions about what's it's like to be an enrolled MODG family, but hopefully it provides a little reassurance that you're not the only one who's felt this way... even this late in the summer. This is exactly where I was a couple summers ago. :)
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God bless you ElizLeone!! Thank you so much for answering my post. I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Really...thank you. I don't know what I will do but I'm anxious. I have heard that MODG is a wonderful program which makes me feel even worse of wanting to bail.
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ElizLeone
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| Posted: July 23 2013 at 1:31pm | IP Logged
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I'm sure it IS a wonderful program. I know it is. But it didn't fit my style, I learned. 
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: July 25 2013 at 7:02am | IP Logged
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Just wanted to add a different perspective. If your child is reading and writing well, MODG is not so mom intensive. Especially with an LS class to help. There is lots of discussion that takes place, but my dd and I discuss her school work while we fold clothes, do dishes, etc. It is challenging, I will agree. In 8th grade there are many papers to write, but they are summaries which stem beautifully from the skill of writing narrations. The methodology is really not that far from Charlotte Mason's.
I agree that having someone else consult with you isn't always easy. And, as Elizabeth pointed out, sometimes a particular consultant isn't always a good match for you. It's easy to request a change though. I've had two wonderful consultants (my first retired) and both have been very willing to work with me on finding the write curriculum for my children, even if it's not what is listed in the syllabus.
I know this is a difficult decision for you. I will pray you make the right one for you and your children and that it will be peaceful. I just wanted to give you the other perspective because, imo, while MODG 8th grade is not an easy year, it does a great job of preparing students for high school. As my dd starts her 9th grade year I am confident, and since we are still enrolled, I am at ease knowing that all the important highschool paperwork will be done properly.
Having said that, I will also add that my ds in NOT enrolled! The classical model, MODG style, does not fit him at all. I am going a different route for him. I wish God would email us with all the answers to these questions!  It's never easy, but I know He blesses our efforts! Hang in there, you're in my prayers!
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Becky
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Wheatheartaca
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| Posted: July 25 2013 at 11:06am | IP Logged
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Yes, I wish God emailed us with instructions...that would be so much easier! LOL That comment made me laugh.
How did you know that MODG style did not suit your ds?
Thank you Becky, I appreciate your response and your prayers for discernment.
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: July 25 2013 at 6:54pm | IP Logged
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He's my 3rd child, ADHD, but now a great reader. I'm not really sure how I knew except all school work was sheer drudgery, unless he was just reading a book. But when he needed to discuss that book or much worse, narrate even a small portion of it he froze. He seemed to thrive when he had a fill in the blank page to do though, which made me cringe. I was always a "no workbooks" kinda gal. But, I'm finding that for him, they just work better. I think the prompt of filling in the blank helps him to recall what he read where as he would become totally overwhelmed when asked to narrate. I know it is a skill to be learned, but believe me we worked on it. Slowly, slowly, slowly. He was feeling bogged down and I was feeling frustrated. So, I just decided I needed to do what was best for this child. So I have 2 that did or are doing MODG, this child that is more of a Seton kid, and 3 others that I have yet to figure out.
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Becky
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Wheatheartaca
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| Posted: July 26 2013 at 10:22am | IP Logged
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Thank you ladies for your replies and helping me with my decision.
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Need 8th grade advice...MODG
